The present invention relates to an agent system and a method for an agent in agent system to easily use resources in another agent system of a different type.
As a technique to process information distributed on a network of a computer, an agent system is well known. The agent is a processing unit on software and autonomically moves according to a surounding status. In the agent system, this agent executes processing such as data collection by moving on a node. In case of using resources on the node, typically, the agent moves to the node and accesses the resources. In this case, the node is a logical unit consisting of the network. A plurality of nodes exist in one machine, i.e., one computer.
Recently, various kinds of agent systems are realized. These agent systems respectively prepare its language system and movement method. The agent existing in one agent system can move to another agent system whose type is the same as the one agent system. However, the agent cannot move to another agent system whose type is different from the one agent system (it is called a different type agent system.).
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a plurality of agent systems connected by a network in case the agent A0 in the network uses the resource in the different kind agent system according to the prior art. As shown in FIG. 1, if the agent A0 in the agent system A wishes to use the resources in the agent system B, the agent A0 asks the agent system B about another agent system movable for the agent A0 and near from the agent system B by the network. If the agent system B informs agent system C as the answer to the agent A0, the agent A0 moves to the agent system C and accesses the resources in the agent system B by using a communication means equipped in the agent A0. Furthermore, in FIG. 1, a directory server S having information such as position and type of each agent system is connected to the network N0. The agent asks the directory server S through the network N0 in order to obtain the information such as position and type of each agent system.
The communication means including a protocol used by the agent is different for each agent system. In the example shown in FIG. 1, in order for the agent A0 to access the resources in the agent system B, a communication means corresponding to the agent system B as the communication party is necessary. In short, in the prior art, the agent must decide a type of the agent system as the communication party and select the communication means corresponding to the type of the agent system. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 1, even if the agent A0 moves to a node in the agent system C, the agent A0 can not access the resources of the agent system B by using the communication means for accessing the resources of the agent system C. In the above example, it is not regarded that the agent A0 moves to the different type agent system. In this case, the different type agent system for the agent is another agent system of different type having a different communication means in comparison with the original agent system in which the agent is generated and active.
Especially, in the prior art, a general mechanism to realize the communication means between the agent and the agent system does not exist. Therefore, original communication means is respectively created for each agent system of the other party as object of resource use and movement. This original communication means must be previously given to the agent using the resources and moving. However, this execution is complicated and difficult.
Furthermore, in FIG. 1, the directory server controls only limited information such as place of the agent and the agent system. Therefore, the communication means between different type agent systems must be specially controlled. This execution is also complicated and difficult.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an agent system and a method for the agent to easily use the resources in a different type agent system of an unknown type of agent system as the other party.
According to the present invention, there is provided an agent system for processing information by an agent, the agent system being connected to another agent system of a different type through a network, comprising: wrapper class memory configured to store component data of a wrapper corresponding to each type of agent system, said wrapper for specially processing information in corresponding agent system; and wrapper generator configured to generate the wrapper corresponding to another agent system of a different type based on the component data of the different type stored in said wrapper class memory; wherein said wrapper acts for or represents the agent to use resources in the other agent system.
Further in accordance with the present invention, there is also provided a method for processing information by an agent in an agent system, the agent system being connected to another agent system of different type through a network, comprising the steps of: storing component data of a wrapper corresponding to each type of agent system, the wrapper for specially processing information in a corresponding agent system; and generating the wrapper corresponding to the other agent system of a different type based on the component data of the different type stored; wherein the wrapper acts for the agent to use resources in the other agent system.
Further in accordance with the present invention, there is also provided a computer readable memory containing computer readable instructions to process information by an agent in an agent system, the agent system being connected to another agent system of different type through a network, comprising: the first instruction to cause a computer to store component data of a wrapper corresponding to each type of agent system, the wrapper for specially processing information in a corresponding agent system; and the second instruction to cause a computer to generate the wrapper corresponding to the other agent system of a different type based on the component data of the different type stored; wherein the wrapper acts for the agent to use resources in the other agent system.